The invention relates to a hand lever-actuated spray pump having a pump chamber which has an inlet and an outlet valve, furthermore having a pump piston which interacts with a pump cylinder, a lever-like actuating handle and an antechamber which is connected to the pump cylinder, is arranged upstream of the pump cylinder and into which there opens a suction tube, it being possible for the pump cylinder to be moved relative to the pump piston in order to carry out a pumping operation and it being possible to effect a return movement via a spring.
Spray pumps of this kind have already been disclosed in various designs. In this connection, attention is drawn, merely by way of example, to U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,159, German Offenlegungsschrift 2,538,971 and German Offenlegungsschrift 3,314,020. In these known spray pumps, the hand lever acts on the pump piston and displaces it in the pump cylinder. The hand lever is furthermore hinged on the upper part of the pump head via a swivel joint. Provided in the pump cylinder and acting on the pump piston there is in each case a return spring in the pump casing.
In connection with the prior art, attention should furthermore be drawn to German Utility Model 7,330,743, German Offenlegungsschrift 3,005,779 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,430. The said utility model discloses a hand lever-actuated spray pump with a pump piston, a pump cylinder and an antechamber into which the suction tube opens. The suction tube is here arranged in axial extension of the pump cylinder and the antechamber. Adjoining this, the suction tube has a bend and then extends vertically downwards into the storage space. A (two-point) support of the functional parts of the pump in the pump head is not provided. On the contrary, the suction tube must assume a supporting function. In the event of a pumping movement, an unfavourable displacement of the suction tube results in each case. The arrangement known from this prior art is furthermore also unfavourable in that the cylinder and the pump piston must be spaced apart by a spring extending between them. In the subject-matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,430, the spray nozzle is firmly connected to the movable pump cylinder. During each pumping operation, a displacement of the spray nozzle results and this gives an unfavourable impression in terms of handling.
Finally, attention is drawn as regards the prior art to GB-A-20 76 076. Here too, however, the spray nozzle is firmly connected to the movable pump piston. A displacement of the spray nozzle likewise results during each pumping operation.
Starting from the last-mentioned prior art, the invention sets itself the object of configuring and further developing the known hand lever-actuated spray pump in such a way that, in combination with a construction of maximum simplicity, a high degree of practicality is achieved.